Answered Question - Disney Parks Moms Panel

Planning a 6 day trip in October with our 4 and 2 year old girls.Getting the Disney Dining Plan for me, my husband and 4 year old. Wondering how much to budget for extra meals for the three of us and all meals for our 2 year old, as well as for gratuities.

- Asked by Jennifer on 1/12/2012

Hello, Jennifer!

You're in for a wonderful vacation!

If you're on the Disney Dining Plan, you can estimate the amount of money you'll need for gratuities by adding up what your Table Service bill would have been, had it not been included in your Dining Plan, then estimating the gratuity you would have paid on that bill. (This will depend on the price of the items you order, of course.) While not a Disney-affiliated site, allearsnet.com offers you an idea of this cost by posting unofficial, fan-posted menu offerings and prices for most, if not all, of the restaurants in Walt Disney World. Make a list of what you think you might order and estimate your gratuity accordingly.

To be honest, we rarely eat extra meals because of the Disney Dining Plan. Instead, we usually eat breakfast in the room or on the way to a bus or a park (we ship a box of non-perishables to our attention at our Walt Disney World resort, which, at the time of this writing, they will then hold until our check-in for a fee of $10.) Should you want to have an additional Quick-Service meal, a small item such as a muffin, or a full Table-Service meal, you can check the above-mentioned site for unofficial, approximate pricing as well.

On a related note, you'll be in Walt Disney World during the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Something you may not know is that many of the regional specialties that are available only during this festival count as a snack on your Disney Dining Plan! Just look for the DDP sticker next to any food item on a menu and you'll know if it's included as a snack on your plan. That's a great way to "graze" while touring the Festival at no additional cost to you!

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